There has been an abundance of EV and plug-in hybrid vehicle registrations this year, with over 350,000 in California, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

The stations were originally a collaboration between the CSUF Physical Plant and Parking and Transportation Services to provide students, staff and faculty with electric vehicle charging stations set up around the school.

There are 38 total charging spaces on campus, with 25 of them located on Gymnasium Drive. Most spaces have a four-hour parking limit.

There are five electric vehicle spaces in front of the College Park building, across from the main campus, also with a four-hour limit. There are two on Corporation Drive, and four behind Mihaylo Hall near the building’s loading area. The Irvine Campus also offers two charging spaces.

(Anita Huor / Daily Titan)

Southern California Edison provides the power needed for the EV charging stations through a service agreement the university has with the company, according to CSUF facilities management.

“They help subsidize the installation quite a bit. We paid for the charging stations themselves but they did all the infrastructure and all the power out there,” said Michael Lolito, chief adviser of facilities management.

The charging stations at CSUF are for students, faculty and members of the community who have electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. Students and faculty with valid semester parking permits can apply for a complementary electric vehicle charging permit.

The current price for charging is $0.40 per kilowatt hour for everyone else, according to Parking and Transportation Services.

Those who park in a space designated for electric vehicle charging but don’t charge their car are subject to citation and/or towing. Those who park in a spot longer than the time limit can also be cited, according to Parking and Transportation Services.

Several 120-volt outlets are currently being added in existing lots for Level 1 trickle-type charging, which is a slow, constant low voltage used to fully charge a battery.

Facilities management said it plans to expand electric vehicle charging options on campus, including adding new direct current fast-charging stations as part of an incentive by the California Energy Commission. There is now a requirement that 5 percent of the spots in any new parking structures or lots be dedicated to EV charging stations.

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